Mustangs return several from a "young" playoff team in 2019
WEEKLY BLOG: 8/2/20
Just as it has for everyday life and education, COVID-19 has changed things when it comes to the game of football for high school coaches and players.
In normal times, about a month after spring break it was time for spring football. That three-week period was a time to begin learning the playbook, run some drills, and be seen by college coaches. The start of summer would bring 7-on-7 competitions against fellow schools and big man challenges for the linemen. Of course, all of those were canceled in 2020.
Some schools began workouts in June while other districts in the state weren't ready to allow it. When the spike of cases in Arizona happened in mid-June, that pretty much put an end to everything for a month. As the calendar turns to August, some schools are able to resume practices while others are still left waiting for the gates to open.
At Sunrise Mountain, which is part of the Peoria District, the team was able to get a couple weeks of practice in during June, but in groups of 10. None of the Mustangs have been inside the weight room since March. Exercises have included pushups and other strength and conditioning drills outside. SMHS began again last Tuesday in Phase 1, which does not allow for the use of footballs, contact, or equipment.
The original plan (pre-virus) was for official practices to begin on July 27. This may have been a blessing in disguise as Phoenix broke an 86-year old record with a high of 118 last Thursday. I would imagine that would've brought practices indoors instead of out on the field in helmets and pads.
That start date was pushed three weeks forward in late June when the governor announced that in-person education in the state would not be permitted until Aug. 17. That would bring a start to the season of Sept. 11. Would that be enough time for teams to get ready?
"It depends on what each district does," Sunrise Mountain head coach Steve Decker said. "Some will be, some won't be. Our district is doing what's best."
Decker gets weekly updates on what the protocol is to be for practices.
Obviously, if some schools have not been able to practice at all since March (which includes almost all of the schools in Tucson and Yuma), a Sept. 11 start goes out the window.
And that brings us to Plan C for the season, which is looking like a planned official practice start of Sept. 8 and a shortened regular season (possibly eight games) with a smaller-than-normal playoff field to follow. Last week, Arizona Varsity's Lee Patterson talked with the AIA Executive Board president about the process in coming to a decision.
Surveys were sent out to schools and due back last Friday. Those will be reviewed and an announcement is expected on Wednesday. So far, six states have moved their football seasons to the spring. Included in that group are California, Nevada, and New Mexico. The plan for Arizona doesn't appear to be heading in that direction, which suits Decker just fine.
"From what I've read and heard, everybody is pushing for a (fall) season," Decker said. "That's what we're hoping for. We'd prefer to be in the fall, but we'd be willing to do what's best for the kids to have a season."
Here's a look at the latest Q & A from AIA Executive Director David Hines, which includes information on transfers.
Schedules were previously released in late May, but they'll have to be reworked. It's possible that freedom games that were on the original ones will be reconfigured to reduce the amount of travel for teams. Region schedules are still expected to include the same schools as before.
Decker feels the AIA and the Peoria District are doing good jobs when it comes to determining if football can be played safely.
"Everybody is doing their best and everyone will make good decisions for kids to come back when healthy," Decker said.
Sunrise Mountain will begin school, virtually, this Wednesday. Its district governing board has voted to start in-person learning no earlier than Sept. 8. Benchmarks from the Arizona Department of Health Services will be used to determine when it is safe to reopen.
Decker is starting his fifth year as head coach, and 12th at SMHS. It's been an adjustment to have to run practices in Phase 1.
"This is the new norm and teaching them that you have to do things the right way," Decker said.
Taking a look at the Mustangs on the field, the team went 8-4 marking the sixth straight year of at least that many victories on the ledger. It was an impressive season because of how young the team was. There were many players that started as juniors and are now ready to bring that experience into their senior years.
One place that will have a new starter is quarterback and the lack of practice time and a summer of 7-on-7s is making the decision more challenging. It is shaping up as a three-way battle between senior Mike Chavarria Jr., last year's backup (25 pass attempts), junior Hunter Kronengold, a transfer from Saguaro, and senior Travis Ward, a transfer from Nevada.
Running back duties will be shared by seniors Tommy Arnold and Brandon Bogard. That duo combined for 709 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. They'll be running behind an offensive line that brings back three seniors in Robbie Maple, Mason Tamayo, and Cameron Hughes. Maple is the center and Tamayo and Hughes are tackles.
On defense, the Mustangs have their starting corners back with EJ Anderson and Steven Hoffman. They totaled five of the team's eight interceptions last year (Bogard, also a linebacker, had the other three). Another senior, Bryce Cord, will be a two-way player for Sunrise Mountain at wide receiver and defensive back. And yes, he's the younger brother of Mustang alum and current Boise State quarterback Chase.
It will be a new region for the Mustangs in 2020 as only Ironwood is a familiar foe. Both schools move from the Northwest Region to the new 5A West-I Region. This region also includes Desert Edge, Fairfax, Millennium, and Verrado and is definitely the more difficult of the West Side groupings. Last year, five of the six schools reached the playoffs and the teams finished a combined 44-26.
"We like it," Decker said. "We're excited to play these tough teams. It's exciting to play good teams like that."
We're navigating our way with the hopes of a season, but these have definitely been uncertain times for a lot of young people when it comes to both their education, their social interactions with friends, and extracurricular activities. We don't know if we're going to get started with an actual season in 2020 (but I think we're certainly going to try). We don't know if we're going to reach a satisfactory conclusion. But, coaches like Decker will do the best they can to guide the kids through this new normal.
"These times, it's just keeping in contact with these kids," Decker said. "It's them being around their friends and coaches. Even though we have to take the precautions, we're excited to be back with them."
